After being in business for almost 25-years, there are a few “golden nuggets” that we’ve picked up along the way that help us run our office efficiently. And, ironically enough, we’ve found one the most helpful and profound insights to be: keep it simple.
Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly times when we need to work harder to meet a deadline or finish a project, but we find that the majority of the time, we need to take more moments to pause and ask ourselves, “How can we work smarter?”
And with that said, we invite you to join us on this sweet journey toward a more simplified workplace. Here are our top 5 favorite tips on doing just that:
- Processes & Protocols
Whether you’re closing a sale, posting to social media, doing data entry, or starting a new strategic partnership, there’s a process that you follow to get the job done. I know most of us shudder at the sound of the word “protocol”, but the truth is – they make life easier! And not just for you, but for everyone coming behind you.
Without protocols and documented systems, delegating to your new assistant, your partner, or the new office staff becomes messy, frustrating and near impossible.
There’s certainly no need to make it more complicated than it needs to be – the next time you’re doing a task around the office, just pull up a blank Word doc and make note of the steps along the way. We promise, you will thank us for it down the road.
C3 Staff Pro Tip: After you’re done writing a new protocol, have someone else read through it and try to complete the task using the process you created. Have them write down questions that they had while completing the task so you know where you need to include more detail.
- Account Management Journals
Many of us are familiar with delegation – whether giving or receiving. A million questions run through your head: What were they working on? Where do I go from here? What are the client’s goals?
Easy button: account management journals. Account management journals help us to know what current initiatives are being worked on with a client or project at any given point in time. That way, when it comes time to pass the baton or review the account, you’re able to see a log of work that’s been done for the client and where improvements can be made.
C3 Staff Pro tip: Start with a fresh Word document. Every time you work on a client’s account, take some notes and date them in a running document.
- Automated Systems
What is your process for following-up with a prospective client? Or, what happens when you get a new business card from that networking event? Are you entering the info into multiple places?
Tasks like follow-up and data entry can be time consuming, but they are also vital to the success of our businesses – and that’s where automated systems and workflows save the day. There are all sorts of technologies out there today that can help you to streamline your workflow with automation. Look for technologies that “talk” to one another so you can initiate the follow-up process with the click of a button.
C3 Staff Pro Tip: We personally love Zoho and Constant Contact for this. We also recommend checking out Zapier, a third-party platform that helps to connect different apps to automate your workflows.
- Organizing & Recycling Content
When it comes to your marketing content and materials – social media images, old ads, flyers etc. – do you have an organized filing system where you can easily pull up old content for reuse? For us marketing people, a lack of organization of our past projects can result in time lost and creative energy wasted when starting a new campaign or initiative. We tend to feel like we need to create something new but, maybe we could just recycle and revamp an old project…
C3 Staff Pro Tip: We love using Office 365 folders and subfolders to organize and share marketing content across our team so we can truly maximize our marketing efforts.
- Project Management Platforms
Last but certainly not least…project management platforms are key to keeping your team (big or small) working efficiently.
It might take some time for your team to adjust, but I promise, it won’t be time wasted.
There are platforms available that help to keep that urgent-project-back-and-forth-chatter out of your inbox and in one central location so that each member of the team can get real time feedback on how things are progressing.
C3 Pro Staff Tip: Our go-to is Asana. The team and project categories allow for a seamless transition between various tasks and groups within the company.
At C3Workplace our mission is to help you keep your workflow simplified so you can take more time to focus on the behaviors that will help drive business forward. If you find yourself needing some extra help passing off those protocols, check out our Remote Executive Assistant Program to see if it might be a good fit for you and your business.
